New Zealander Wins Islamorada’s Golden Fly Tournament‏

ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys — Fly angler Julian Robertson of Kerikeri, New Zealand, took top honors in the three-day Outback Golden Fly Tarpon Tournament that ended May 22 in Islamorada.

Robertson and his guide, Captain Joe Rodriguez of Homestead, Fla., caught two weight fish and scored two releases to take a commanding lead on day one.

They maintained their lead on day two with two more releases and one weight fish.

Robertson’s final score of three weight fish and seven releases overall moved him into the winner’s circle.

Each angler in the tournament is allowed to “strap out” (measure the tarpon’s girth using a strap) five fish, and release fish only count toward a win when a weight fish is caught. Tarpon must be 70 pounds to qualify as a weight fish.

As well as the overall win, Robertson scored a 108-pound tarpon that landed him the tournament’s Billy Pate Memorial Largest Tarpon award.

The tournament’s first runner-up was Texas resident Ryan Seiders, guided by Islamorada’s Captain Rob Fordyce, with two weight fish and three releases.